At the conclusion of the recent election campaign, while gnashing my teeth, I mused …
Why must we tolerate such underwhelming mediocrity? Australia deserves better than this.
This campaign was a woeful example of predictability – even more contrived and manipulative than previous shockers.
The two major party leaders, Messrs Albanese and Dutton, consistently appeared to be terrified of slipping up. Their personas were so unnatural that they looked like robot impersonators, complete with AI narratives full of the usual mind-numbing rhetoric.
Sadly, born of fear, the modern PM candidate has evolved – stereotyped, stage managed, highly scripted and required by strategists (often in vain) to stay strictly on-message – and to impress with prime ministerial airs.
And yet, we are expected to believe that these characters are really very human after all. You know, regular knock-about blokes we would find on building sites wearing hard hats and high-vis, or sticking snags on barbies, or kicking footballs, or other things that we common folk do.
Would a prime minister be playing with young kids at a childcare centre if there were no media cameras around? If he was, we could have a problem!
We all know that the reason for this blatant charade is the media with its intense scrutiny.
Even the slightest hiccups or mistakes are bound to hit TV news and get blown out of all proportion. No slip ups or gaffes or it’s trial by media and possibly political death by a thousand news bites.
Steely straight jackets are the order of the day. No natural, engaging personalities allowed here – let alone spontaneity – perish the thought!
To be a nation proud of its expansive, imaginative, and progressive thinking would be wonderful, but it’s not possible given the present status quo.
Or so I thought until my musings were turned on their head on election night when mediocrity was given a fair dinkum kick in the arse.
It was when Anthony Albanese arrived at ALP headquarters to give his victory speech after Labor’s historic win. All of a sudden, we had a new-look, natural, relaxed and confident human being called Albo – full of exuberance and flamboyance, espousing without fear, his unifying vision for Australia and faith in what “sets our nation apart from the world”.
Wow! There is hope for us after all.
What a difference one day can make.